Lunch Break: SnoPo, Burgers And Korean Food

A unique cold treat for fall weather, good burgers with free toppings, or an introduction to Korean food – it’s all in today’s Lunch Break. By Yvo Sin.

New World Mall

(credit: feistyfoodie.com)

4021 Main St
Flushing, NY 11354

The latest addition to the Flushing food-mall scene, New World Mall made a splash with its similarities to food stalls in Asia. While the food court can be incredibly daunting to those not quite fluent in a Chinese dialect, head straight to SnoPo (down the escalator, to the back left) for an icy treat that will fascinate your senses. Shaved ice that tastes creamy but approximates the texture of very cold cotton candy – yes, cotton candy – order from the Pure Snowy side of the menu (Romantic Snowy loosely translates to “dump a lot of unnecessary toppings that distract from the essence of SnoPo”). Green tea is the pictured flavor, but better choices are mango, lychee, or coffee. And if you really need to have something savory for lunch, the stall next to SnoPo offers handpulled noodles that pass muster.

Five Guys

Sometimes the craving hits for a burger, but there are just so many choices. Maybe your coworker likes big, meaty burgers that leave you unbuttoning your pants, but you like smaller burgers that satisfy you without putting you into a stupor for the rest of the afternoon. Where do you go? Five Guys fills the need perfectly: with their burgers, which are double patties of grilled meat, or their ‘little’ burgers, which are single patties of the same meat. Add on as many toppings as you want from the list of fifteen complimentary choices to create your own personalized burger without breaking the bank. Be sure to order the regular fry – Five Guys style (plain) or cajun – it’s enough to comfortably share.

Imperial Seoul

Korean food can be a little intimidating if you have little experience and walking into a place blindly isn’t your thing. However, the servers at Imperial Seoul speak comfortable English and are more than willing to help guide you through their lunch menu. Ignore the Japanese offerings, because though they’re perfectly satisfactory, the real treat here is the Korean items: for $7.99 seafood soft tofu stew, or soondubu, will fill you up without weighing you down, and is a great entry level dish for the Korean food novice. Ask for it mild if you’re not keen on spicy foods, and don’t worry when it comes screaming hot temperature-wise and bright red- the color is deceiving. Crack a raw egg into the soup, and stir vigorously – it’s hot enough to cook the egg completely such that it’ll look like egg drop soup, but the taste will blow you away. Careful, it’s hot, so be sure to mix it with some of the rice you received. As is customary with most Korean restaurants, don’t be surprised when a myriad of small dishes appear on your table soon after you’re seated; banchan, as the complimentary appetizer dishes are known, are abundant here. Run out of something you really enjoyed? Don’t be afraid to ask for more, and ask for the name, while you’re at it; if you particularly enjoyed it, most Korean restaurants will also sell you some of their treats, made in-house. Also try the dolsot bibimbap ($10.99) (pictured), or mixed vegetables over rice served in a hot stone bowl; the hot stone bowl continues cooking the rice so it forms a nice crust that is delicious to scrape off with your spoon. Once you feel comfortable with a few of the basics, you should move on to the BBQ, every meat lover’s dream come true.